CONNECT WITH JESS & RACH!
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Sign up for the newsletter & Get involved with the podcast here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
In this episode, I'm exploring an anonymous confession about using AI in creative work through a community-driven discussion. I collected anonymous responses that represent a range of viewpoints, highlighting the conversations happening in the creative community.
DISCLAIMER: This episode aims to create understanding and encourage a conversation rather than shame. Even though all responses couldn't be read in this episode, I aimed to read multiple responses with differing viewpoints. I acknowledge the complexity of the issues discussed & I do want to emphasise that I am still unsure where I stand on the topic. My approach with this episode is to present various perspectives and let you draw your own conclusions.
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Sign up for the newsletter & Get involved with the podcast here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Sign up for the newsletter & Get involved with the podcast here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
In this episode, I’m doing something a little different.
Recently, I sent out a newsletter about how I noticed designers Googling each other’s clients to “check if the projects are real.” I didn’t expect much. But then… my inbox exploded.
Turns out, people have thoughts. Some agreed with me. Some challenged me. So in today’s episode, I’m reading out a bunch of those anonymous replies and reacting to each one with my honest take.
We’re talking:
Whether designers should disclose passion projects
Why people get weird about “fake clients”
The pressure to look busy online
Real vs. passion work and does it even matter?
If you’ve ever hesitated to share a mock project or worried you’d be seen as “less than” for doing passion work, this one’s for you.
MENTIONED EPISODE: When pretending to have clients backfires
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
Let’s talk about that moment where you’re so drained by a project that you start doing more just to end it. You’re not alone, but there’s a difference between overdelivering intentionally and handing over extras just to escape.
In this episode, I’m digging into why we overdeliver when we’re frustrated (and why it backfires), along with the emotional toll of dragging projects. We’ll also touch on why burnout doesn’t care how much you’re getting paid and how poor communication causes most boundary breaks.
And if you’re looking for a bit of practical advice there’s some bits on what to say when you don’t want to do more work outside of the initial agreement (even if the client offers to pay).
The anonymous confession: “Sometimes I get to the point with a frustrating client that I just give them additional patterns and social media stuff for free because I want the project to be done. Is this bad?”
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
In this episode, I’m joined by designer James Barnard to talk about pricing transparency. After reading a confession from a creative who said listing their prices might have scared off all their leads, we talk about why this advice doesn’t work for everyone.
We also get into how to communicate your value without putting numbers on your site as well as some of James' tips for social media content. If you’ve ever second-guessed your pricing, or wondered whether you’re making things harder for yourself, this one’s for you.
The Confession: "I saw designers on Threads saying that if we want to be as transparent and as accessible as possible then we should put our prices on our websites so I did. I've noticed I haven't had a single lead since. I had a good flow of leads before and I think I tried to fix something that wasn't broken. "
CONNECT WITH JAMES:
Follow James on IG here
Website: https://barnard.co/
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
Took a break and now your creative brain won’t boot up again? In this episode, I’m sharing how I stop time off from completely derailing my design business. From overwhelm to finding a weekly rhythm that actually works (especially as a parent), this is a real look at how I get back on track without spiralling or wishing for an empty to-do list.
The Confession: "I get thrown off my work rhythm at the start of a new week after the break at the weekends. It happens every week and I have a long weekend trip coming up (friday, saturday and sunday), I'm dreading it. I see on Instagram that you go to events often so I was hoping you would have some advice on this "
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
Ahh the classic imposter syndrome. In this episode, I break down the fear of getting it wrong, the pressure to look like an expert, and the myth that everyone else knows what they’re doing. If you’ve ever spiraled halfway through making a post online, this one’s for you.
The Confession: "I feel like such an imposter when I try to give advice or make educational content because it feels like everyone else has it figured out. I’m scared of saying the wrong thing and getting called out for it, but it also feels like that’s the kind of content that performs the best."
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
In this episode, I’m diving into how 'authenticity' has become a marketing strategy, the difference between curating what you share and faking stories for engagement and how audiences have become smarter.
If you’ve ever looked at someone’s post and thought, “this still feels curated”, this episode is for you.
The Confession: "Everyone teaches being authentic as best practice but it still feels like their 'authenticity' is still made to look perfect."
Last week's episode is here
See Frankie Harry's Channel here
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
I’m talking about the pressure to fake success in the online design space when you’re struggling to book design clients. I'm sharing why “fake it ‘til you make it” has become such a common (and risky) tactic, and how it can backfire when the truth catches up to you.
The Confession: "I am "faking it til I make it" by pretending to have actual clients.. it's gotten so far that other designers are starting to ask about where I get clients & how to talk to clients on disco calls"
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
In this episode, I’m talking about the all or nothing mindset and why two things can be true at once.
The Confession: "I used to think that if i wasn't showing up consistently then I was failing & if i didn't love doing design every single day then maybe I wasn't cut out for it. But lately I've been reminding myself that two things can be true at the same time"
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
The Confession: "When i have client calls, I price the project based on how annoying I think client is going to be during the process"
This episode dives into why pricing should never be personal, how to protect your creativity without guessing someone’s vibe, and what to do instead of adjusting your rates out of fear.
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
This week I’m joined by Jenn from Stankin Good Design to talk all about the pressure to perform on social media, designing for visibility instead of value, and the real cost of chasing validation from other designers instead of your actual clients.
Together we unpack:
How to spot when you’re designing for the algorithm, not your audience
Whether trends are helping or hurting your creativity
The difference between soul work and survival work
Why not everyone can afford to “just create for fun”
Reconnecting with your creative voice (and your clients) offline
If you’ve ever caught yourself designing for likes instead of purpose, this one’s for you.
Connect with Jenn!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stankingood_design/
More links: linktr.ee/stankingood
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
The Confession: "i've totally given up on my 2025 goals i don't know what i was thinking"
In this episode, we’re talking about what happens when those goals you set in the New Year no longer feel right, why changing your mind doesn't make you a failure and why prioritising the now and future version of you is better than sticking with the past version that you've grown away from.
The New Year Episode Mentioned: "Why New Year Goals Might Be Overrated?"
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
In this episode, we’re talking about the reality of being new in your creative business and why feeling behind doesn’t mean you’re not good enough.
I’m also sharing a personal story from my first ever client project (spoiler: I had no idea what I was doing) and why feeling discomfort might be the one thing that gets you where you want to go.
This is your permission slip to start before you feel 100% ready because literally everyone does.
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
There’s a lot of advice floating around for designers and creative business owners… but what if it’s not actually helping you?
In this episode, I’m breaking down some of the most popular business advice I’ve seen online and why it didn’t really work for me (and what I’ve chosen to do instead)
This isn’t about bashing advice or pretending to have the “right” way, it's about sharing real experiences in a space that often feels like it's all about doing what everyone else is doing.
If you’ve been trying to follow the rules but still feel stuck… this one's for you.
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
Social media should be about connection, inspiration, and celebrating great work, not about keeping score.
In this episode, we’re talking about: whyy follow-for-follow culture is exhausting, why engagement isn’t a transaction and how creating a feed you actually enjoy can change the game
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
This week's confession: "I think i've spent hundreds of $ on courses and learning stuff and taken lots of free courses but I feel like I'm not getting anywhere. "
If you’ve ever felt like you’re one course away from finally figuring it all out, you’re not alone. So many designers fall into the trap of thinking there’s a secret they just haven’t learned yet—but that’s not how it works.
In this episode, we’re talking about:
- Why designers keep searching for the "missing piece"
- How marketing makes you think you need more to succeed
- Why taking action—not just consuming more information—is what actually moves you forward
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit it here
Follow Robin on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast Instagram here
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebies here
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit your Creative Confession here
Follow Robin on Instagramhere
Follow the Podcast Instagramhere
Get The Newsletter, Templates & Design Freebieshere
Enjoying the podcast? Please drop a quick review! It helps more creatives find it!
No matter how many nice comments you get, it’s always the one hate comment that sticks with you. Why is that? And how do we actually deal with it?
Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? Submit your creative confession here — https://www.brandsbyrobin.com/confess
Podcast Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/brandyourbrain
Robin’s Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/brandsbyrobin/
Work with Me — https://brandsbyrobin.com/services
Don’t forget to rate the podcast, and hit the follow to keep up with new episodes.
